1
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Dussouillez C, Lointier M, Sebane MK, Fournel S, Bechinger B, Kichler A. N-terminal modification of an LAH4-derived peptide increases mRNA delivery in the presence of serum. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3597. [PMID: 38523558 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
The recently developed mRNA-based coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 vaccines highlighted the great therapeutic potential of the mRNA technology. Although the lipid nanoparticles used for the delivery of the mRNA are very efficient, they showed, in some cases, the induction of side effects as well as the production of antibodies directed against particle components. Thus, the development of alternative delivery systems is of great interest in the pursuit of more effective mRNA treatments. In the present work, we evaluated the mRNA transfection capacities of a series of cationic histidine-rich amphipathic peptides derived from LAH4. We found that while the LAH4-A1 peptide was an efficient carrier for mRNA, its activity was highly serum sensitive. Interestingly, modification of this cell penetrating peptide at the N-terminus with two tyrosines or with salicylic acid allowed to confer serum resistance to the carrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice Dussouillez
- Laboratoire de Conception et Application de Molécules Bioactives UMR7199 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 3BioTeam, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
- Inserm UMR_S 1121, EMR 7003 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Morane Lointier
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mohammed-Karim Sebane
- Laboratoire de Conception et Application de Molécules Bioactives UMR7199 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 3BioTeam, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
- Inserm UMR_S 1121, EMR 7003 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sylvie Fournel
- Laboratoire de Conception et Application de Molécules Bioactives UMR7199 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 3BioTeam, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
- Inserm UMR_S 1121, EMR 7003 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, Strasbourg, France
| | - Antoine Kichler
- Laboratoire de Conception et Application de Molécules Bioactives UMR7199 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 3BioTeam, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
- Inserm UMR_S 1121, EMR 7003 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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2
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Kawano K, Kuzuma Y, Yoshio K, Hosokawa K, Oosugi Y, Fujiwara T, Yokoyama F, Matsuzaki K. Extracellular-Vesicle Catch-and-Release Isolation System Using a Net-Charge Invertible Curvature-Sensing Peptide. Anal Chem 2024; 96:3754-3762. [PMID: 38402519 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry various informative components, including signaling proteins, transcriptional regulators, lipids, and nucleic acids. These components are utilized for cell-cell communication between donor and recipient cells. EVs have shown great promise as pharmaceutical-targeting vesicles and have attracted the attention of researchers in the fields of biological and medical science because of their importance as diagnostic and prognostic markers. However, the isolation and purification of EVs from cell-cultured media remain challenging. Ultracentrifugation is the most widely used method, but it requires specialized and expensive equipment. In the present study, we proposed a novel methodology to isolate EVs using a simple and convenient method, i.e., an EV catch-and-release isolation system (EV-CaRiS) using a net-charge invertible curvature-sensing peptide (NIC). Curvature-sensing peptides recognize vesicles by binding to lipid-packing defects on highly curved membranes regardless of the expression levels of biomarkers. NIC was newly designed to reversibly capture and release EVs in a pH-dependent manner. NIC allowed us to achieve reproducible EV isolation from three human cell lines on resin using a batch method and single-particle imaging of EVs containing the ubiquitous exosome markers CD63 and CD81 by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM). EV-CaRiS was demonstrated as a simple and convenient methodology for EV isolation, and NIC is promising for applications in the single-particle analysis of EVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Kawano
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yuki Kuzuma
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Koichi Yoshio
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Kenta Hosokawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yuuto Oosugi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Takahiro Fujiwara
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Yokoyama
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Katsumi Matsuzaki
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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3
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Ramos C, Lorenz K, Putrinš M, Hind CK, Meos A, Laidmäe I, Tenson T, Sutton JM, Mason AJ, Kogermann K. Fibrous matrices facilitate pleurocidin killing of wound associated bacterial pathogens. Eur J Pharm Sci 2024; 192:106648. [PMID: 37992909 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Conventional wound infection treatments neither actively promote wound healing nor address the growing problem of antibacterial resistance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural defense molecules, released from host cells, which may be rapidly bactericidal, modulate host-immune responses, and/or act as endogenous mediators for wound healing. However, their routine clinical use has hitherto been hindered due to their instability in the wound environment. Here we describe an electrospun carrier system for topical application of pleurocidin, demonstrating sufficient AMP release from matrices to kill wound-associated pathogens including Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pleurocidin can be incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber matrices, using coaxial electrospinning, without major drug loss with a peptide content of 0.7% w/w predicted sufficient to kill most wound associated species. Pleurocidin retains its activity on release from the electrospun fiber matrix and completely inhibits growth of two strains of A. baumannii (AYE; ATCC 17978) and other ESKAPE pathogens. Inhibition of P. aeruginosa strains (PAO1; NCTC 13437) is, however, matrix weight per volume dependent, with only larger/thicker matrices maintaining complete inhibition. The resulting estimation of pleurocidin release from the matrix reveals high efficiency, facilitating a greater AMP potency. Wound matrices are often applied in parallel or sequentially with the use of standard wound care with biocides, therefore the presence and effect of biocides on pleurocidin potency was tested. It was revealed that combinations displayed additive or modestly synergistic effects depending on the biocide and pathogens which should be considered during the therapy. Taken together, we show that electrospun, pleurocidin-loaded wound matrices have potential to be investigated for wound infection treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Ramos
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; Technology Development Group, UK Health Security Agency, Research and Evaluation, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, United Kingdom; Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King´s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Kairi Lorenz
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Marta Putrinš
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Charlotte K Hind
- Technology Development Group, UK Health Security Agency, Research and Evaluation, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, United Kingdom
| | - Andres Meos
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ivo Laidmäe
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tanel Tenson
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - J Mark Sutton
- Technology Development Group, UK Health Security Agency, Research and Evaluation, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, United Kingdom; Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King´s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - A James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King´s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Karin Kogermann
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
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4
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Xing H, Loya-Perez V, Franzen J, Denton PW, Conda-Sheridan M, Rodrigues de Almeida N. Designing peptide amphiphiles as novel antibacterials and antibiotic adjuvants against gram-negative bacteria. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 94:117481. [PMID: 37776750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative strains are intrinsically resistant to most antibiotics due to the robust and impermeable characteristic of their outer membrane. Self-assembling cationic peptide amphiphiles (PAs) have the ability to disrupt bacteria membranes, constituting an excellent antibacterial alternative to small molecule drugs that can be used alone or as antibiotic adjuvants to overcome bacteria resistance. PA1 (C16KHKHK), self-assembled into micelles, which exhibited low antibacterial activity against all strains tested, and showed strong synergistic antibacterial activity in combination with Vancomycin with a Fractional Inhibitory Concentration index (FICi) of 0.15 against E. coli. The molecules, PA2 (C16KRKR) and PA3 (C16AAAKRKR), also self-assembled into micelles, displayed a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against all strains tested, and low susceptibility to resistance development over 21 days. Finally, PA1, PA 2 and PA3 displayed low cytotoxicity against mammalian cells, and PA2 showed a potent antibacterial activity and low toxicity in preliminary in vivo models using G. mellonella. The results show that PAs are a great platform for the future development of effective antibiotics to slow down the antibiotic resistance and can act as antibiotic adjuvants with synergistic mechanism of action, which can be repurposed for use with existing antibiotics commonly used to treat gram-positive bacteria to treat infections caused by gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihua Xing
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - Vanessa Loya-Perez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, United States
| | - Joshua Franzen
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, United States
| | - Paul W Denton
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, United States
| | - Martin Conda-Sheridan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
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5
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Patil NA, Ma W, Jiang X, He X, Yu HH, Wickremasinghe H, Wang J, Thompson PE, Velkov T, Roberts KD, Li J. Critical Role of Position 10 Residue in the Polymyxin Antimicrobial Activity. J Med Chem 2023; 66:2865-2876. [PMID: 36745479 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Polymyxins (polymyxin B and colistin) are lipopeptide antibiotics used as a last-line treatment for life-threatening multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial infections. Unfortunately, their clinical use has been affected by dose-limiting toxicity and increasing resistance. Structure-activity (SAR) and structure-toxicity (STR) relationships are paramount for the development of safer polymyxins, albeit very little is known about the role of the conserved position 10 threonine (Thr) residue in the polymyxin core scaffold. Here, we synthesized 30 novel analogues of polymyxin B1 modified explicitly at position 10 and examined the antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria and in vivo toxicity and performed molecular dynamics simulations with bacterial outer membranes. For the first time, this study revealed the stereochemical requirements and role of the β-hydroxy side chain in promoting the correctly folded conformation of the polymyxin that drives outer membrane penetration and antibacterial activity. These findings provide essential information for developing safer and more efficacious new-generation polymyxin antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin A Patil
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Infection & Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Wendong Ma
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Infection & Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Xukai Jiang
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Infection & Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.,National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Xiaoji He
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Infection & Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Heidi H Yu
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Infection & Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Hasini Wickremasinghe
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Infection & Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jiping Wang
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Infection & Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Philip E Thompson
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Tony Velkov
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Infection & Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Kade D Roberts
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Infection & Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jian Li
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Infection & Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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6
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Hadjicharalambous A, Bournakas N, Newman H, Skynner MJ, Beswick P. Antimicrobial and Cell-Penetrating Peptides: Understanding Penetration for the Design of Novel Conjugate Antibiotics. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1636. [PMID: 36421280 PMCID: PMC9686638 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11111636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short oligopeptides that can penetrate the bacterial inner and outer membranes. Together with cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), they are called membrane active peptides; peptides which can translocate across biological membranes. Over the last fifty years, attempts have been made to understand the molecular features that drive the interactions of membranes with membrane active peptides. This review examines the features of a membrane these peptides exploit for translocation, as well as the physicochemical characteristics of membrane active peptides which are important for translocation. Moreover, it presents examples of how these features have been used in recent years to create conjugates consisting of a membrane active peptide, called a "vector", attached to either a current or novel antibiotic, called a "cargo" or "payload". In addition, the review discusses what properties may contribute to an ideal peptide vector able to deliver cargoes across the bacterial outer membrane as the rising issue of antimicrobial resistance demands new strategies to be employed to combat this global public health threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Hadjicharalambous
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
- BicycleTx Limited, Portway Building, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GS, UK
| | - Nikolaos Bournakas
- BicycleTx Limited, Portway Building, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GS, UK
| | - Hector Newman
- BicycleTx Limited, Portway Building, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GS, UK
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Michael J. Skynner
- BicycleTx Limited, Portway Building, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GS, UK
| | - Paul Beswick
- BicycleTx Limited, Portway Building, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GS, UK
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7
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Meir O, Zaknoon F, Mor A. An efflux-susceptible antibiotic-adjuvant with systemic efficacy against mouse infections. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17673. [PMID: 36271103 PMCID: PMC9586926 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21526-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Scarcity of effective treatments against sepsis is daunting, especially under the contemporary standpoints on antibiotics resistance, entailing the development of alternative treatment strategies. Here, we describe the design and antibiotic adjuvant properties of a new lipopeptide-like pentamer, decanoyl-bis.diaminobutyrate-aminododecanoyl-diaminobutyrate-amide (C10BBc12B), whose sub-maximal tolerated doses combinations with inefficient antibiotics demonstrated systemic efficacies in murine models of peritonitis-sepsis and urinary-tract infections. Attempts to shed light into the mechanism of action using membrane-active fluorescent probes, suggest outer-membrane interactions to dominate the pentamer's adjuvant properties, which were not associated with typical inner-membrane damages or with delayed bacterial growth. Yet, checkerboard titrations with low micromolar concentrations of C10BBc12B exhibited unprecedented capacities in potentiation of hydrophobic antibiotics towards Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens, with an apparent low propensity for prompting resistance to the antibiotics. Assessment of the pentamer's potentiating activities upon efflux inhibition incites submission of a hitherto unreported, probable action mechanism implicating the pentamer's de-facto capacity to hijack bacterial efflux pumps for boosting its adjuvant activity through repetitive steps including outer-membrane adhesion, translocation and subsequent expulsion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohad Meir
- grid.6451.60000000121102151Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Fadia Zaknoon
- grid.6451.60000000121102151Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Amram Mor
- grid.6451.60000000121102151Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
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8
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Nagano M, Huang Y, Obexer R, Suga H. Chemical peptide macrolactonization via intramolecular
S
‐to‐
S
‐to‐
O
acyl transfer. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masanobu Nagano
- Graduate School of Science The University of Tokyo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo Japan
| | - Yichao Huang
- Graduate School of Science The University of Tokyo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo Japan
| | - Richard Obexer
- Graduate School of Science The University of Tokyo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Graduate School of Science The University of Tokyo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo Japan
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9
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Frenkel-Pinter M, Haynes JW, Mohyeldin AM, C M, Sargon AB, Petrov AS, Krishnamurthy R, Hud NV, Williams LD, Leman LJ. Mutually stabilizing interactions between proto-peptides and RNA. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3137. [PMID: 32561731 PMCID: PMC7305224 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16891-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The close synergy between peptides and nucleic acids in current biology is suggestive of a functional co-evolution between the two polymers. Here we show that cationic proto-peptides (depsipeptides and polyesters), either produced as mixtures from plausibly prebiotic dry-down reactions or synthetically prepared in pure form, can engage in direct interactions with RNA resulting in mutual stabilization. Cationic proto-peptides significantly increase the thermal stability of folded RNA structures. In turn, RNA increases the lifetime of a depsipeptide by >30-fold. Proto-peptides containing the proteinaceous amino acids Lys, Arg, or His adjacent to backbone ester bonds generally promote RNA duplex thermal stability to a greater magnitude than do analogous sequences containing non-proteinaceous residues. Our findings support a model in which tightly-intertwined biological dependencies of RNA and protein reflect a long co-evolutionary history that began with rudimentary, mutually-stabilizing interactions at early stages of polypeptide and nucleic acid co-existence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.,NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jay W Haynes
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Ahmad M Mohyeldin
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Martin C
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Alyssa B Sargon
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Anton S Petrov
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.,NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nicholas V Hud
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA. .,NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Luke J Leman
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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10
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Potential anticonvulsant activity of novel VV-hemorphin-7 analogues containing unnatural amino acids: synthesis and characterization. Amino Acids 2020; 52:567-585. [PMID: 32206933 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-020-02836-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Herein, some new analogues of VV-hemorphin-7, modified at position 4 and 7 by the unnatural amino acids followed the structure Val-Val-Tyr-Xxx-Trp-Thr-Yyy-Arg-Phe-NH2, where Xxx is Ac5c (1-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid) or Ac6c (1-aminocyclohexane carboxylic acid) and Yyy is Dap (diaminopropanoic acid) or Dab (diaminobutanoic acid), were synthesized, characterized and investigated for anticonvulsant activity. The new synthetic peptide analogues were prepared by standard solid-phase peptide synthesis-Fmoc chemistry. A single intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection at doses of 5, 10, and 20 µg/10 µl, respectively, was given before evaluation with timed intravenous pentylenetetrazole (ivPTZ) infusion test and 6-Hz psychomotor seizure test in mice. The acute neurological toxicity was determined using the rotarod test. To explain the structure-active properties of the modified peptides, some physicochemical characteristic was obtained. The FT-IR spectra and their second derivatives of the amide I, II, and III bands of the peptides show ß-sheet structure conformation. The calculation of isoelectric points, by potentiometric determination of dissociated constants, is in the range from 9.79 to 10.84. This study, for the first time, also reported on the reduction-oxidative potentials of the guanidine at Arg-moiety on such kind of peptides containing arginine and tyrosine residues in different medium and electrode surface. The VV-hemorphin-7 analogues 4 and 5 were the most active against the ivPTZ test, with the effect comparable to that of peptide 1 used as a positive control. Except compound 8, all other tested peptide analogues were ineffective to raise the threshold for the clonic seizures. The peptide analogue 5 showed 100% protection in the 6-Hz test, while the other seven VV-hemorphin-7 analogues have dose-dependent activity against psychomotor seizures comparable to 1. The novel peptides did not show neurotoxicity in the rotarod test.
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11
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Arias M, Haney EF, Hilchie AL, Corcoran JA, Hyndman ME, Hancock REW, Vogel HJ. Selective anticancer activity of synthetic peptides derived from the host defence peptide tritrpticin. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183228. [PMID: 32126228 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute a diverse family of peptides with the ability to protect their host against microbial infections. In addition to their ability to kill microorganisms, several AMPs also exhibit selective cytotoxicity towards cancer cells and are collectively referred to as anticancer peptides (ACPs). Here a large library of AMPs, mainly derived from the porcine cathelicidin peptide, tritrpticin (VRRFPWWWPFLRR), were assessed for their anticancer activity against the Jurkat T cell leukemia line. These anticancer potencies were compared to the cytotoxicity of the peptides towards normal cells isolated from healthy donors, namely peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and red blood cells (RBCs; where hemolytic activity was assessed). Among the active tritrpticin derivatives, substitution of Arg by Lys enhanced the selectivity of the peptides towards Jurkat cells when compared to PBMCs. Additionally, the side chain length of the Lys residues was also optimized to further enhance the tritrpticin ACP selectivity at low concentrations. The mechanism of action of the peptides with high selectivity involved the permeabilization of the cytoplasmic membrane of Jurkat cells, without formation of apoptotic bodies. The incorporation of non-natural Lys-based cationic amino acids could provide a new strategy to improve the selectivity of other synthetic ACPs to enhance their potential for therapeutic use against leukemia cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Arias
- Biochemistry Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Biophysics Group, School of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Medellín, Calle 65 No 59A-110, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Evan F Haney
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Ashley L Hilchie
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Jennifer A Corcoran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Disease Department, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - M Eric Hyndman
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, Southern Alberta Institute of Urology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada
| | - Robert E W Hancock
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Hans J Vogel
- Biochemistry Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
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12
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Zhang Y, Hirota T, Kuwata K, Oishi S, Gramani SG, Bode JW. Chemical Synthesis of Atomically Tailored SUMO E2 Conjugating Enzymes for the Formation of Covalently Linked SUMO-E2-E3 Ligase Ternary Complexes. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:14742-14751. [PMID: 31436980 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b06820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
E2 conjugating enzymes are the key catalytic actors in the transfer of ubiquitin, SUMO, and other ubiquitin-like modifiers to their substrate proteins. Their high rates of transfer and promiscuous binding complicate studies of their interactions and binding partners. To access specific, covalently linked conjugates of the SUMO E2 conjugating enzyme Ubc9, we prepared synthetic variants bearing site-specific non-native modifications including the following: (1) replacement of Cys93 to 2,3-diaminopropionic acid to form the amide-linked stable E2-SUMO conjugate, which is known to have high affinity for E3 ligases; (2) a photoreactive group (diazirine) to trap E3 ligases upon UV irradiation; and (3) an N-terminal biotin for purification and detection. To construct these Ubc9 variants in a flexible, convergent manner, we combined the three leading methods: native chemical ligation (NCL), α-ketoacid-hydroxylamine (KAHA) ligation, and serine/threonine ligation (STL). Using the synthetic proteins, we demonstrated the selective formation of Ubc9-SUMO conjugates and the trapping of an E3 ligase (RanBP2) to form the stable, covalently linked SUMO1-Ubc9-RanBP2 ternary complex. The powerful combination of ligation methods-which minimizes challenges of functional group manipulations-will enable chemical probes based on E2 conjugating enzymes to trap E3 ligases and facilitate the synthesis of other protein classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinfeng Zhang
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM) , Nagoya University , Chikusa , Nagoya 464-8602 , Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hirota
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM) , Nagoya University , Chikusa , Nagoya 464-8602 , Japan
| | - Keiko Kuwata
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM) , Nagoya University , Chikusa , Nagoya 464-8602 , Japan
| | - Shunsuke Oishi
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM) , Nagoya University , Chikusa , Nagoya 464-8602 , Japan
| | - Subramanian G Gramani
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM) , Nagoya University , Chikusa , Nagoya 464-8602 , Japan
| | - Jeffrey W Bode
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM) , Nagoya University , Chikusa , Nagoya 464-8602 , Japan.,Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences , ETH Zürich , Zürich 8093 , Switzerland
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13
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Selective incorporation of proteinaceous over nonproteinaceous cationic amino acids in model prebiotic oligomerization reactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:16338-16346. [PMID: 31358633 PMCID: PMC6697887 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1904849116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the long-standing questions in origins-of-life research centers on how the proteinaceous side chains and the protein backbone were selected during the earliest phases of evolution. Here we have studied oligomerization reactions of a group of positively charged amino acids, both proteinaceous and nonproteinaceous. Amino acids spontaneously oligomerized without the use of enzymes or activating agents, under mild, hydroxy acid-catalyzed, dry-down conditions. We observed that the proteinaceous amino acids oligomerized more extensively and with greater preference for reactivity through their α-amine compared with nonproteinaceous amino acids, forming predominantly linear, protein-like backbone topologies. These findings provide a purely chemical basis for selection of the positively charged amino acids found in today’s proteins. Numerous long-standing questions in origins-of-life research center on the history of biopolymers. For example, how and why did nature select the polypeptide backbone and proteinaceous side chains? Depsipeptides, containing both ester and amide linkages, have been proposed as ancestors of polypeptides. In this paper, we investigate cationic depsipeptides that form under mild dry-down reactions. We compare the oligomerization of various cationic amino acids, including the cationic proteinaceous amino acids (lysine, Lys; arginine, Arg; and histidine, His), along with nonproteinaceous analogs of Lys harboring fewer methylene groups in their side chains. These analogs, which have been discussed as potential prebiotic alternatives to Lys, are ornithine, 2,4-diaminobutyric acid, and 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Orn, Dab, and Dpr). We observe that the proteinaceous amino acids condense more extensively than these nonproteinaceous amino acids. Orn and Dab readily cyclize into lactams, while Dab and Dpr condense less efficiently. Furthermore, the proteinaceous amino acids exhibit more selective oligomerization through their α-amines relative to their side-chain groups. This selectivity results in predominantly linear depsipeptides in which the amino acids are α-amine−linked, analogous to today’s proteins. These results suggest a chemical basis for the selection of Lys, Arg, and His over other cationic amino acids for incorporation into proto-proteins on the early Earth. Given that electrostatics are key elements of protein−RNA and protein−DNA interactions in extant life, we hypothesize that cationic side chains incorporated into proto-peptides, as reported in this study, served in a variety of functions with ancestral nucleic acid polymers in the early stages of life.
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14
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Tanishiki N, Yano Y, Matsuzaki K. Endowment of pH Responsivity to Anticancer Peptides by Introducing 2,3-Diaminopropionic Acid Residues. Chembiochem 2019; 20:2109-2117. [PMID: 31161686 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Endowment of pH responsivity to anticancer peptides is a promising approach to achieve better selectivity to cancer tissues. In this research, a template peptide was designed based on magainin 2, an antimicrobial peptide with anticancer activity, and a series of peptides were designed by replacing different numbers of lysine with the unnatural amino acid, 2,3diaminopropionic acid (Dap), which has a positive charge at weakly acidic pH in cancer tissues, but is neutral at physiological pH 7.4. These Dap-containing peptides are expected to interact more strongly with tumor cells than with normal cells because 1) weakly acidic conditions form in tumors, and 2) the membrane of tumor cells is more anionic than that of normal cells. Although all examined peptides showed potent cytotoxicities to multidrug-resistant cancer cells at a weakly acidic pH (ED50 ≈5 μm), the toxicity decreased with an increase in the number of Dap at pH 7.4 (8 Dap residues resulted in ED50 ≈60 μm). Furthermore, the introduction of Dap reduced cytotoxicity against normal cells. Thus, Dap led to significantly improved cancer targeting due to a pH-dependent charge shift. Fluorescence imaging and model membrane experiments supported this charge-shift model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoto Tanishiki
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-Shimo-Adachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Yano
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-Shimo-Adachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Katsumi Matsuzaki
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-Shimo-Adachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
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15
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Mant CT, Jiang Z, Gera L, Davis T, Hodges RS. Design of Novel Amphipathic α-Helical Antimicrobial Peptides with No Toxicity as Therapeutics against the Antibiotic-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacterial Pathogen, Acinetobacter Baumannii. JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY AND DRUG DESIGN 2019; 2:114. [PMID: 34377965 PMCID: PMC8351594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We designed de novo and synthesized two series of five 26-residue amphipathic α-helical cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with five or six positively charged residues (D-Lys, L-Dab (2,4-diaminobutyric acid) or L-Dap (2,3-diaminopropionic acid)) on the polar face where all other residues are in the D-conformation. Hemolytic activity against human red blood cells was determined using the most stringent conditions for the hemolysis assay, 18h at 37°C, 1% human erythrocytes and peptide concentrations up to 1000 μg/mL (~380 μM). Antimicrobial activity was determined against 7 Acinetobacter baumannii strains, resistant to polymyxin B and colistin (antibiotics of last resort) to show the effect of positively charged residues in two different locations on the polar face (positions 3, 7, 11, 18, 22 and 26 versus positions 3, 7, 14, 15, 22 and 26). All 10 peptides had two D-Lys residues in the center of the non-polar face as "specificity determinants" at positions 13 and 16 which provide specificity for prokaryotic cells over eukaryotic cells. Specificity determinants also maintain excellent antimicrobial activity in the presence of human sera. This study shows that the location and type of positively charged residue (Dab and Dap) on the polar face are critical to obtain the best therapeutic indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin T Mant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- AMP Discovery LLC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Ziqing Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Lajos Gera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- AMP Discovery LLC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Tim Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Robert S Hodges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- AMP Discovery LLC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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16
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Mant CT, Jiang Z, Gera L, Davis T, Nelson KL, Bevers S, Hodges RS. De Novo Designed Amphipathic α-Helical Antimicrobial Peptides Incorporating Dab and Dap Residues on the Polar Face To Treat the Gram-Negative Pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3354-3366. [PMID: 30848594 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
We have designed de novo and synthesized ten 26-residue D-conformation amphipathic α-helical cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), seven with "specificity determinants", which provide specificity for prokaryotic cells over eukaryotic cells. The ten AMPs contain five or six positively charged residues (d-Arg, d-Lys, d-Orn, l-Dab, or l-Dap) on the polar face to understand their role in hemolytic activity against human red blood cells and antimicrobial activity against seven Acinetobacter baumannii strains, resistant to polymyxin B and colistin, and 20 A. baumannii worldwide isolates from 2016 and 2017 with antibiotic resistance to 18 different antibiotics. AMPs with specificity determinants and with l-Dab and l-Dap residues on the polar face have essentially no hemolytic activity at 1000 μg/mL (380 μM), showing for the first time the importance of these unusual amino acid residues in solving long-standing hemolysis issues of AMPs. Specificity determinants maintained excellent antimicrobial activity in the presence of human sera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin T Mant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Ziqing Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Lajos Gera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Tim Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | | | - Shaun Bevers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Robert S Hodges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
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17
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Abstract
Amphipathic, pH-responsive, membrane-active peptides such as LAH4 and derivatives thereof have the ability to effectively deliver genes and small interfering RNA (siRNA) into mammalian cells. Their ability to bind and protect nucleic acids and then disrupt membranes when activated at low pH enables them to harness the endocytic machinery to deliver cargo efficiently and with low associated toxicity. This chapter describes protocols for the chemical synthesis of transfection peptides of the LAH4 family, complex formation with nucleic acids, and their use for the in vitro delivery of either plasmid DNA or siRNA into mammalian cell lines.
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18
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Trapping biosynthetic acyl-enzyme intermediates with encoded 2,3-diaminopropionic acid. Nature 2018; 565:112-117. [PMID: 30542153 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0781-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Many enzymes catalyse reactions that proceed through covalent acyl-enzyme (ester or thioester) intermediates1. These enzymes include serine hydrolases2,3 (encoded by one per cent of human genes, and including serine proteases and thioesterases), cysteine proteases (including caspases), and many components of the ubiquitination machinery4,5. Their important acyl-enzyme intermediates are unstable, commonly having half-lives of minutes to hours6. In some cases, acyl-enzyme complexes can be stabilized using substrate analogues or active-site mutations but, although these approaches can provide valuable insight7-10, they often result in complexes that are substantially non-native. Here we develop a strategy for incorporating 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (DAP) into recombinant proteins, via expansion of the genetic code11. We show that replacing catalytic cysteine or serine residues of enzymes with DAP permits their first-step reaction with native substrates, allowing the efficient capture of acyl-enzyme complexes that are linked through a stable amide bond. For one of these enzymes, the thioesterase domain of valinomycin synthetase12, we elucidate the biosynthetic pathway by which it progressively oligomerizes tetradepsipeptidyl substrates to a dodecadepsipeptidyl intermediate, which it then cyclizes to produce valinomycin. By trapping the first and last acyl-thioesterase intermediates in the catalytic cycle as DAP conjugates, we provide structural insight into how conformational changes in thioesterase domains of such nonribosomal peptide synthetases control the oligomerization and cyclization of linear substrates. The encoding of DAP will facilitate the characterization of diverse acyl-enzyme complexes, and may be extended to capturing the native substrates of transiently acylated proteins of unknown function.
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19
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Peeler DJ, Thai SN, Cheng Y, Horner PJ, Sellers DL, Pun SH. pH-sensitive polymer micelles provide selective and potentiated lytic capacity to venom peptides for effective intracellular delivery. Biomaterials 2018; 192:235-244. [PMID: 30458359 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Endocytosed biomacromolecule delivery systems must escape the endosomal trafficking pathway in order for their cargo to exert effects in other cellular compartments. Although endosomal release is well-recognized as one of the greatest barriers to efficacy of biologic drugs with intracellular targets, most drug carriers have relied on cationic materials that passively induce endosomal swelling and membrane rupture with low efficiency. To address the endosome release challenge, our lab has developed a diblock copolymer system for nucleic acid delivery that selectively displays a potent membrane-lytic peptide (melittin) in response to the pH drop during the endosomal maturation. To further optimize this system, we evaluated a panel of peptides with reported lytic activity in comparison to melittin. Nineteen different lytic peptides were synthesized and their membrane-lytic properties at both neutral and acidic pH characterized using a red blood cell hemolysis assay. The top five performing peptides were then conjugated to our pH-sensitive diblock copolymer via disulfide linkers and used to deliver a variety of nucleic acids to cultured mammalian cells as well as in vivo to the mouse brain. We demonstrate that the sharp pH-transition of VIPER compensates for potential advantages from pH-sensitive peptides, such that polymer-peptide conjugates with poorly selective but highly lytic peptides achieve safe and effective transfection both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, peptides that require release from polymer backbones for lysis were less effective in the VIPER system, likely due to limited endosomal reducing power of target cells. Finally, we show that certain peptides are potentiated in lytic ability by polymer conjugation and that these peptide-polymer constructs are most effective in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Peeler
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Salina N Thai
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Yilong Cheng
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Philip J Horner
- Center for Neuroregeneration and Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Drew L Sellers
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States.
| | - Suzie H Pun
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States.
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20
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Ngambenjawong C, Sylvestre M, Gustafson HH, Pineda JMB, Pun SH. Reversibly Switchable, pH-Dependent Peptide Ligand Binding via 3,5-Diiodotyrosine Substitutions. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:995-1002. [PMID: 29481044 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cell type-specific targeting ligands utilized in drug delivery applications typically recognize receptors that are overexpressed on the cells of interest. Nonetheless, these receptors may also be expressed, to varying extents, on off-target cells, contributing to unintended side effects. For the selectivity profile of targeting ligands in cancer therapy to be improved, stimuli-responsive masking of these ligands with acid-, redox-, or enzyme-cleavable molecules has been reported, whereby the targeting ligands are exposed in specific environments, e.g., acidic tumor hypoxia. One possible drawback of these systems lies in their one-time, permanent trigger, which enables the "demasked" ligands to bind off-target cells if released back into the systemic circulation. A promising strategy to address the aforementioned problem is to design ligands that show selective binding based on ionization state, which may be microenvironment-dependent. In this study, we report a systematic strategy to engineer low pH-selective targeting peptides using an M2 macrophage-targeting peptide (M2pep) as an example. 3,5-Diiodotyrosine mutagenesis into native tyrosine residues of M2pep confers pH-dependent binding behavior specific to acidic environment (pH 6) when the amino acid is protonated into the native tyrosine-like state. At physiological pH of 7.4, the hydroxyl group of 3,5-diiodotyrosine on the peptide is deprotonated leading to interruption of the peptide native binding property. Our engineered pH-responsive M2pep (Ac-Y-Î-Î) binds target M2 macrophages more selectively at pH 6 than at pH 7.4. In addition, 3,5-diiodotyrosine substitutions also improve serum stability of the peptide. Finally, we demonstrate pH-dependent reversibility in target binding via a postbinding peptide elution study. The strategy presented here should be applicable for engineering pH-dependent functionality of other targeting peptides with potential applications in physiology-dependent in vivo targeting applications (e.g., targeting hypoxic tumor/inflammation) or in in vitro receptor identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chayanon Ngambenjawong
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Meilyn Sylvestre
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Heather H. Gustafson
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Julio Marco B. Pineda
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Suzie H. Pun
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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21
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Batoon P, Oomens J, Berden G, Ren J. Conformations of Protonated AlaDap and DapAla Characterized by IRMPD Spectroscopy and Molecular Modeling. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:2191-2202. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b10435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Batoon
- Department
of Chemistry, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, California 95211, United States
| | - Jos Oomens
- FELIX
Laboratory, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7c, 6525ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Giel Berden
- FELIX
Laboratory, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7c, 6525ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jianhua Ren
- Department
of Chemistry, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, California 95211, United States
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22
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Vermeer LS, Hamon L, Schirer A, Schoup M, Cosette J, Majdoul S, Pastré D, Stockholm D, Holic N, Hellwig P, Galy A, Fenard D, Bechinger B. Vectofusin-1, a potent peptidic enhancer of viral gene transfer forms pH-dependent α-helical nanofibrils, concentrating viral particles. Acta Biomater 2017; 64:259-268. [PMID: 29017974 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Gene transfer using lentiviral vectors has therapeutic applications spanning from monogenic and infectious diseases to cancer. Such gene therapy has to be improved by enhancing the levels of viral infection of target cells and/or reducing the amount of lentivirus for greater safety and reduced costs. Vectofusin-1, a recently developed cationic amphipathic peptide with a pronounced capacity to enhance such viral transduction, strongly promotes the entry of several retroviral pseudotypes into target cells when added to the culture medium. To clarify the molecular basis of its action the peptide was investigated on a molecular and a supramolecular level by a variety of biophysical approaches. We show that in culture medium vectofusin-1 rapidly forms complexes in the 10 nm range that further assemble into annular and extended nanofibrils. These associate with viral particles allowing them to be easily pelleted for optimal virus-cell interaction. Thioflavin T fluorescence, circular dichroism and infrared spectroscopies indicate that these fibrils have a unique α-helical structure whereas most other viral transduction enhancers form β-amyloid fibrils. A vectofusin-1 derivative (LAH2-A4) is inefficient in biological assays and does not form nanofibrils, suggesting that supramolecular assembly is essential for transduction enhancement. Our observations define vectofusin-1 as a member of a new class of α-helical enhancers of lentiviral infection. Its fibril formation is reversible which bears considerable advantages in handling the peptide in conditions well-adapted to Good Manufacturing Practices and scalable gene therapy protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louic S Vermeer
- CNRS, Univ. of Strasbourg, Institut de Chimie UMR_7177, Strasbourg, France
| | - Loic Hamon
- INSERM, Univ. of Evry, UMR_S1204, Evry, France
| | | | - Michel Schoup
- CNRS, Univ. of Strasbourg, Institut de Chimie UMR_7177, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Saliha Majdoul
- Genethon, INSERM, Univ. of Evry, EPHE-PSL Research University, Research Unit Integrare UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | | | - Daniel Stockholm
- Genethon, INSERM, Univ. of Evry, EPHE-PSL Research University, Research Unit Integrare UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | - Nathalie Holic
- Genethon, INSERM, Univ. of Evry, EPHE-PSL Research University, Research Unit Integrare UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | - Petra Hellwig
- CNRS, Univ. of Strasbourg, UMR 7140, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Galy
- Genethon, INSERM, Univ. of Evry, EPHE-PSL Research University, Research Unit Integrare UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | | | - Burkhard Bechinger
- CNRS, Univ. of Strasbourg, Institut de Chimie UMR_7177, Strasbourg, France.
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23
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Moulay G, Leborgne C, Mason AJ, Aisenbrey C, Kichler A, Bechinger B. Histidine-rich designer peptides of the LAH4 family promote cell delivery of a multitude of cargo. J Pept Sci 2017; 23:320-328. [PMID: 28067008 DOI: 10.1002/psc.2955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The histidine-rich designer peptides of the LAH4 family exhibit potent antimicrobial, transfection, transduction and cell-penetrating properties. They form non-covalent complexes with their cargo, which often carry a negative overall charge at pH 7.4 and include a large range of molecules and structures such as oligonucleotides, including siRNA and DNA, peptides, proteins, nanodots and adeno-associated viruses. These complexes are thought to enter the cells through an endosomal pathway where the acidification of the organelle is essential for efficient endosomal escape. Biophysical measurements indicate that, upon acidification, almost half the peptides are released from DNA cargo, leading to the suggestion of a self-promoted uptake mechanism where the liberated peptides lyse the endosomal membranes. LAH4 derivatives also help in cellular transduction using lentiviruses. Here, we compare the DNA transfection activities of LAH4 derivatives, which vary in overall charge and/or the composition in the hydrophobic core region. In addition, LAH4 is shown to mediate the transport of functional β-galactosidase, a large tetrameric protein of about 0.5 MDa, into the cell interior. Interestingly, the LAH1 peptide efficiently imports this protein, while it is inefficient during DNA transfection assays. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Moulay
- Genethon, 1bis rue de l'Internationale, 91002, Evry, France
| | | | - A James Mason
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, 4, Rue Blaise Pascal, 67070, Strasbourg, France.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, UK
| | - Christopher Aisenbrey
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, 4, Rue Blaise Pascal, 67070, Strasbourg, France
| | - Antoine Kichler
- Genethon, 1bis rue de l'Internationale, 91002, Evry, France.,Faculté de Pharmacie, Laboratoire de Conception et Application de Molécules Bioactives UMR7199 CNRS - Université de Strasbourg, Labex Medalis, 67401, Illkirch, France
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, 4, Rue Blaise Pascal, 67070, Strasbourg, France
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24
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Haug BE, Camilio KA, Eliassen LT, Stensen W, Svendsen JS, Berg K, Mortensen B, Serin G, Mirjolet JF, Bichat F, Rekdal Ø. Discovery of a 9-mer Cationic Peptide (LTX-315) as a Potential First in Class Oncolytic Peptide. J Med Chem 2016; 59:2918-27. [PMID: 26982623 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b02025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Oncolytic immunotherapies represent a new promising strategy in the treatment of cancer. In our efforts to develop oncolytic peptides, we identified a series of chemically modified 9-mer cationic peptides that were highly effective against both drug-resistant and drug-sensitive cancer cells and with lower toxicity toward normal cells. Among these peptides, LTX-315 displayed superior anticancer activity and was selected as a lead candidate. This peptide showed relative high plasma protein binding abilities and a human plasma half-life of 160 min, resulting in formation of nontoxic metabolites. In addition, the lead candidate demonstrated relatively low ability to inhibit CYP450 enzymes. Collectively these data indicated that this peptide has potential to be developed as a new anticancer agent for intratumoral administration and is currently being evaluated in a phase I/IIa study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bengt Erik Haug
- Lytix Biopharma AS , Sykehusveien 21, NO-9294 Tromsø, Norway.,Department of Chemistry and Centre for Pharmacy, University of Bergen , Allégaten 41, NO-5007 Bergen, Norway
| | - Ketil André Camilio
- Lytix Biopharma AS , Sykehusveien 21, NO-9294 Tromsø, Norway.,Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway , NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Wenche Stensen
- Lytix Biopharma AS , Sykehusveien 21, NO-9294 Tromsø, Norway.,Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway , NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - John Sigurd Svendsen
- Lytix Biopharma AS , Sykehusveien 21, NO-9294 Tromsø, Norway.,Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway , NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kristel Berg
- Lytix Biopharma AS , Sykehusveien 21, NO-9294 Tromsø, Norway
| | | | | | | | | | - Øystein Rekdal
- Lytix Biopharma AS , Sykehusveien 21, NO-9294 Tromsø, Norway.,Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway , NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway
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25
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Taylor MS, Dempsey DR, Hwang Y, Chen Z, Chu N, Boeke JD, Cole PA. Mechanistic analysis of ghrelin-O-acyltransferase using substrate analogs. Bioorg Chem 2015; 62:64-73. [PMID: 26246082 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Ghrelin-O-Acyltransferase (GOAT) is an 11-transmembrane integral membrane protein that octanoylates the metabolism-regulating peptide hormone ghrelin at Ser3 and may represent an attractive target for the treatment of type II diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. Protein octanoylation is unique to ghrelin in humans, and little is known about the mechanism of GOAT or of related protein-O-acyltransferases HHAT or PORC. In this study, we explored an in vitro microsomal ghrelin octanoylation assay to analyze its enzymologic features. Measurement of Km for 10-mer, 27-mer, and synthetic Tat-peptide-containing ghrelin substrates provided evidence for a role of charge interactions in substrate binding. Ghrelin substrates with amino-alanine in place of Ser3 demonstrated that GOAT can catalyze the formation of an octanoyl-amide bond at a similar rate compared with the natural reaction. A pH-rate comparison of these substrates revealed minimal differences in acyltransferase activity across pH 6.0-9.0, providing evidence that these reactions may be relatively insensitive to the basicity of the substrate nucleophile. The conserved His338 residue was required both for Ser3 and amino-Ala3 ghrelin substrates, suggesting that His338 may have a key catalytic role beyond that of a general base.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin S Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics and High Throughput Biology Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel R Dempsey
- Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yousang Hwang
- Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zan Chen
- Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nam Chu
- Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jef D Boeke
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics and High Throughput Biology Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Philip A Cole
- Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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26
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Kobylarz MJ, Grigg JC, Takayama SIJ, Rai DK, Heinrichs DE, Murphy MEP. Synthesis of L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid, a siderophore and antibiotic precursor. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 21:379-88. [PMID: 24485762 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2013.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (L-Dap) is an amino acid that is a precursor of antibiotics and staphyloferrin B a siderophore produced by Staphylococcus aureus. SbnA and SbnB are encoded by the staphyloferrin B biosynthetic gene cluster and are implicated in L-Dap biosynthesis. We demonstrate here that SbnA uses PLP and substrates O-phospho-L-serine and L-glutamate to produce a metabolite N-(1-amino-1-carboxyl-2-ethyl)-glutamic acid (ACEGA). SbnB is shown to use NAD(+) to oxidatively hydrolyze ACEGA to yield α-ketoglutarate and L-Dap. Also, we describe crystal structures of SbnB in complex with NADH and ACEGA as well as with NAD(+) and α-ketoglutarate to reveal the residues required for substrate binding, oxidation, and hydrolysis. SbnA and SbnB contribute to the iron sparing response of S. aureus that enables staphyloferrin B biosynthesis in the absence of an active tricarboxylic acid cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek J Kobylarz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jason C Grigg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Shin-ichi J Takayama
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Dushyant K Rai
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - David E Heinrichs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Centre for Human Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Michael E P Murphy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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27
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Manipulating the pH response of 2,3-diaminopropionic acid rich peptides to mediate highly effective gene silencing with low-toxicity. J Control Release 2013; 172:929-38. [PMID: 24144917 PMCID: PMC3858832 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2013] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Cationic amphipathic pH responsive peptides possess high in vitro and in vivo nucleic acid delivery capabilities and function by forming a non-covalent complex with cargo, protecting it from nucleases, facilitating uptake via endocytosis and responding to endosomal acidification by being released from the complex and inserting into and disordering endosomal membranes. We have designed and synthesised peptides to show how Coulombic interactions between ionizable 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap) side chains can be manipulated to tune the functional pH response of the peptides to afford optimal nucleic acid transfer and have modified the hydrogen bonding capabilities of the Dap side chains in order to reduce cytotoxicity. When compared with benchmark delivery compounds, the peptides are shown to have low toxicity and are highly effective at mediating gene silencing in adherent MCF-7 and A549 cell lines, primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells and both differentiated macrophage-like and suspension monocyte-like THP-1 cells.
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28
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Binding of cationic pentapeptides with modified side chain lengths to negatively charged lipid membranes: Complex interplay of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2013; 1818:1663-72. [PMID: 22433675 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2012.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2011] [Revised: 02/19/2012] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Basic amino acids play a key role in the binding of membrane associated proteins to negatively charged membranes. However, side chains of basic amino acids like lysine do not only provide a positive charge, but also a flexible hydrocarbon spacer that enables hydrophobic interactions. We studied the influence of hydrophobic contributions to the binding by varying the side chain length of pentapeptides with ammonium groups starting with lysine to lysine analogs with shorter side chains, namely omithine (Orn), alpha, gamma-diaminobutyric acid (Dab) and alpha, beta-diaminopropionic acid (Dap). The binding to negatively charged phosphatidylglycerol (PG) membranes was investigated by calorimetry, FT-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and monolayer techniques. The binding was influenced by counteracting and sometimes compensating contributions. The influence of the bound peptides on the lipid phase behavior depends on the length of the peptide side chains. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments showed exothermic and endothermic effects compensating to a different extent as a function of side chain length. The increase in lipid phase transition temperature was more significant for peptides with shorter side chains. FTIR-spectroscopy revealed changes in hydration of the lipid bilayer interface after peptide binding. Using monolayer techniques, the contributions of electrostatic and hydrophobic effects could clearly be observed. Peptides with short side chains induced a pronounced decrease in surface pressure of PG monolayers whereas peptides with additional hydrophobic interactions decreased the surface pressure much less or even lead to an increase, indicating insertion of the hydrophobic part of the side chain into the lipid monolayer.
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29
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Liang W, Kwok PCL, Chow MYT, Tang P, Mason AJ, Chan HK, Lam JKW. Formulation of pH responsive peptides as inhalable dry powders for pulmonary delivery of nucleic acids. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2013; 86:64-73. [PMID: 23702276 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2013.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2012] [Revised: 05/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acids have the potential to be used as therapies or vaccines for many different types of disease, but delivery remains the most significant challenge to their clinical adoption. pH responsive peptides containing either histidine or derivatives of 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap) can mediate effective DNA transfection in lung epithelial cells with the latter remaining effective even in the presence of lung surfactant containing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), making this class of peptides attractive candidates for delivering nucleic acids to lung tissues. To further assess the suitability of pH responsive peptides for pulmonary delivery by inhalation, dry powder formulations of pH responsive peptides and plasmid DNA, with mannitol as carrier, were produced by either spray drying (SD) or spray freeze drying (SFD). The properties of the two types of powders were characterised and compared using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), next generation impactor (NGI), gel retardation and in vitro transfection via a twin stage impinger (TSI) following aerosolisation by a dry powder inhaler (Osmohaler™). Although the aerodynamic performance and transfection efficacy of both powders were good, the overall performance revealed SD powders to have a number of advantages over SFD powders and are the more effective formulation with potential for efficient nucleic acid delivery through inhalation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanling Liang
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Philip C L Kwok
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Y T Chow
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Patricia Tang
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - A James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Hak-Kim Chan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Jenny K W Lam
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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30
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Kichler A, Mason AJ, Marquette A, Bechinger B. Histidine-rich cationic amphipathic peptides for plasmid DNA and siRNA delivery. Methods Mol Biol 2013; 948:85-103. [PMID: 23070765 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-140-0_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Amphipathic, pH-responsive, membrane-active peptides such as LAH4 and derivatives thereof have the ability to effectively deliver genes and small interfering RNA (siRNA) into mammalian cells. Their ability to bind and protect nucleic acids and then disrupt membranes when activated at low pH enables them to harness the endocytic machinery to deliver cargo efficiently and with low associated toxicity. This chapter describes protocols for the chemical synthesis of transfection peptides of the LAH4 family, complex formation with nucleic acids, and their use for the in vitro delivery of either plasmid DNA or siRNA into mammalian cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Kichler
- Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Chimique et Génétique et d'Imagerie, U1022 INSERM, Paris, France.
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31
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Iacobucci V, Di Giuseppe F, Bui TT, Vermeer LS, Patel J, Scherman D, Kichler A, Drake AF, Mason AJ. Control of pH responsive peptide self-association during endocytosis is required for effective gene transfer. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2012; 1818:1332-41. [PMID: 22226847 PMCID: PMC3378503 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2011] [Revised: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 12/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cationic amphipathic histidine rich peptides demonstrate differential nucleic acid binding capabilities at neutral and acidic pH and adopt conformations at acidic pH that enable interaction with endosomal membranes, their subsequent disordering and facilitate entry of cargo to the cell cytosol. To better understand the relative contributions of each stage in the process and consequently the structural requirements of pH responsive peptides for optimal nucleic acid transfer, we used biophysical methods to dissect the series of events that occur during endosomal acidification. Far-UV circular dichroism was used to characterise the solution conformation of a series of peptides, containing either four or six histidine residues, designed to respond at differing pH while a novel application of near-UV circular dichroism was used to determine the binding affinities of the peptides for both DNA and siRNA. The peptide induced disordering of neutral and anionic membranes was investigated using (2)H solid-state NMR. While each of these parameters models key stages in the nucleic acid delivery process and all were affected by increasing the histidine content of the peptide, the effect of a more acidic pH response on peptide self-association was most notable and identified as the most important barrier to further enhancing nucleic acid delivery. Further, the results indicate that Coulombic interactions between the histidine residues modulate protonation and subsequent conformational transitions required for peptide mediated gene transfer activity and are an important factor to consider in future peptide design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Iacobucci
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Francesca Di Giuseppe
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Tam T. Bui
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Louic S. Vermeer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Jayneil Patel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Daniel Scherman
- UMR 8151 CNRS -Inserm U1022, Université René Descartes, Chimie-Paristech, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Kichler
- UMR 8151 CNRS -Inserm U1022, Université René Descartes, Chimie-Paristech, Paris, France
- Généthon, 1bis rue de l’Internationale BP60, 91002 Evry, France
| | - Alex F. Drake
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - A. James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
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32
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Lam JK, Liang W, Lan Y, Chaudhuri P, Chow MY, Witt K, Kudsiova L, Mason AJ. Effective endogenous gene silencing mediated by pH responsive peptides proceeds via multiple pathways. J Control Release 2012; 158:293-303. [PMID: 22138072 PMCID: PMC3309421 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2011.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2011] [Revised: 11/15/2011] [Accepted: 11/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cationic amphipathic histidine rich peptides possess high plasmid DNA and siRNA delivery capabilities. To further understand the pH responsive siRNA delivery process and evaluate the capabilities of such peptides we have investigated their ability to mediate specific silencing of endogenous GAPDH gene activity in MCF-7 and A549 cells and compared this with plasmid DNA delivery. A substantial and selective reduction of both GAPDH activity and expression was achieved using pH responsive peptide vectors, which compared favourably with that mediated by commercially available non-viral vectors in terms of efficacy and toxicity. Furthermore, by comparing the efficacy of both gene delivery and silencing mediated by a series of such peptides, their sensitivities to known inhibitors of endocytotic processes, and their route of uptake via confocal live cell imaging, we show that both plasmid DNA and siRNA are internalised via endocytosis. However siRNA entry facilitated by LAH4-L1, proceeds via a cholesterol dependent mechanism, in contrast to DNA transfer which is associated with clathrin dependent endocytosis. Furthermore, using peptides that respond at increasingly acidic pH, we demonstrate that the route of entry for the siRNA that ultimately mediates silencing is peptide specific and whilst some pH responsive peptides promote the escape of labelled siRNA from endosomes, others may promote entry via alternative mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny. K.W. Lam
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong
| | - Wanling Liang
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong
| | - Yun Lan
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong
| | - Poulami Chaudhuri
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Michael Y.T. Chow
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong
| | - Katarzyna Witt
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Laila Kudsiova
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - A. James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
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